What are those drive axle extensions used for?
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So it can move around on pavement to another track as well.
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I don't see how the extended rail wheels would help with that. I've seen some vehicles like this where the rail wheels are driven by having the tires in contact with them, but there's no way for them to contact the tires on this vehicle, and they can't touch pavement either.
They look a little like the power take-off on a farm tractor, but that wouldn't make any sense at all.
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| Posted by FSWood on January 24, 2014 | |
Be careful abut being mislead by viewing angle. On at least some Trackmobiles, the treaded capstan looking extensions from this end rail wheels do indeed line up with this end's rubber tires with the powered rubber tire being employed as a friction drive to power the rail wheel: why spend weight, money, and potential part malfunctions, on 2 individual drive trains.
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I can see it now. The rubber tire is outside the rail wheel and it swings down and back to make contact with the friction drive mechanism. The front rubber tire also swings forward towards the steps but does not make contact with them. The angle of aproach on this photo does not allow you to see that the rubber tires are wider then the rail wheels.
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